Door-operating mechanism



Mar. 6, 1923.

1,447,512 P. R. FORMAN noon OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Apr. 25, 1'91? s sheets-sheet 1 77z eizml" Mar.6-,1923. 1,447,512

1 P. R. FORMAN noon OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Apr. 25, 1917 s sheets-sheet 1920 PM KM P. R. FORMAN DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed A r. 25, 1917 -5 sheets-sheet S Patented i i liar... ti, "i923.

PARIS R. FORMAN', OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOE T0 NATIONAL PNEUEIATIC COMPANY, YORK, N. L, COlEtPQH-ATION OF "W'ES'ZI VIRGINIA.

DDOR-QPEBATING JlfiECI'lAllIESIVI.

a lication and s in 25, 1917. Serial no. 164,383.

To all whom-it may concern:

Be it known that l, PARIS Fomrsn, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State oflllinois, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Door-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to door operating mechanism.

The object of the invention is toprovide door operating mechanism, which is simple in structure, efiicientin operation and economical in manufacture.

A further object of the invention is to provide door operating mechanism, particularly adapted for use on cars, or thelike, and which may be applied to cars already in use, with but little additional equipment. A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient sliding door equipment for cars.

Afurther object of the invention i to provide a sliding door and means for operating the same, for cars on which no provision has been made fordoors of this nature in the construction of same.

Further objects of the invent-ion will appear more fully hereinafter. r

The invention consists substantially in the construction, combination, location and relative arrangement of parts, all as will be H101 fully hereinafter set forth as shown bythe accompanying drawing, and final y pointed outin the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing 1 Fig. l is a view in side elevation of door or gate operating mechanism embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22, Fig. 1, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail vi w of a por tion of the structure shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. i is a sectional view taken on the line l, Fig. 1; and looking in the direction the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the door gate structure shown in Fig. 1.

6 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modified arrangement of door or gate opcrating mechanism and control therefor.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail View of the door or gate control shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a detail view of the mot-or control mechanism.

The same part is designated by the same reference character wherever it occurs throughout the several views.

It isamong the special purposes of my present invention to provide a simple and eflicient equipment of door or gate and operating mechanism therefor, and particularly for structures such as cars, or the like, wherein no provision has been made-for doors or gates, and operating mdchanism therefor.

As a concrete illustration, a great number of cars employed on the elevated roads of New York city are provided with swinging ates or doors, and no means are provided to allow v a sliding gate or door and control therefor to be installed. The swinging gates employed are well known in the. art, and the disadvantages thereof have been recognized for years, chief among which being, the space required foroperation thereof, to open and close the same on the platform of the car. gate is opened the platform of the car must be substantiall vacant, so as not to obstruct its path of travel. W' hen the traific is congested, and particularly during the rush hours of the day, this disadvantage has been magnified, making it awkward and at times practically impossible to operate the gates to allow passengers to enter or leave the car, thereby greatly decreasing the comfort of the-passengers, and the schedule and efliciency of the system.

As above stated, I provide a simple and efficient means, requiring little additional equipment for converting gates and doors of this description to a sliding structure, easily and quickly controlled from the conductors station, and obviating all of the difliculties incident to the old type of swinging door or gate structures.

in the drawing, 1 show a stationary body 1, which may be any structure, but which in the concrete illustration l have selected to illustrate the principles of my invention, forms the end of the car body and which In other words, when the present contains the platform 2, the passage to and from the platform being controlled by thegate or door 3. The top of the gate or door 3 is provided with downwardly extendthe top 4 of the door or gate, is longer than the door itself, thereby insuring connection with the groove 6 of the bracket 7, even when the door is closed, as shown in Fig. l.

The bottom 9 of the door or gate is provided with loosely mounted wheels 10, which operate on bracket 11, suitably carried by bracket 12, secured to the structure 1.

'Pivotally secured to the body or structure 1 at 13 is an arm 14:, pivotally secured at 17 to the rear end of the door 3. Pivotally secured to the arm 14- at a point 19, above its fulcrum 13, is an arm or lever 20, which arm or lever is connected to a lever 21, secured to one endof the shaft 22, the other end of which shaft is secured to a lever 23, connected to a vertical lever 24-, which is connected t one end of the bell crank lever 25, the other end of the bell crank lever being connected by a rod 26, to one end of the bell crank lever 27, the other end of which bell crank lever 27 forms the operating handle 28. Thus to openthe door from its position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the handle 28 is depressed counter clockwise, thereby rocking the respective arms and levers to push the rod 20 to the right, (see Fig. 1), thereby forcing the arm 14 clockwise about its fulcrum 13, and thus drawing the door to its open'position, as indicated in dotted lines, the opening movement thereof being facilitated by its rolling connection with the rail 11, and its sliding groove connection in the bracket 7. To close the door, a reverse operation of the handle28 exerts a pull upon the rod 20, which pulls the arm let about its pivotal fulcrum 13, thereby causing the door to roll on the rail 11.

When the door is in its complete closed position as shown in full lines by Fig. 1, I provide means for preventing the door or gate from swinging about its connection in the bracket 7 and from bein sprung or otherwise bent to thereby inter ere with its sliding connection in said bracket 7. 1n the form shown, this consists of a reinforcing suitable brace 30, suitably secured to the stanchion 31, located on the car platform, as shown best in Figs. 1 and 5. This brace 30 forms a rest for the door in its extreme closed position, to prevent the end or further edge f the door or gate from being pushed downwardly when in its closed posit-ion.

It will be seen from the foregoing that I have provided an exceedingly simple manually operated sliding door mechanism, which door and its support and operating means are all located to the exterior of the car, and consequently require no alteration in the car structure, nor theaddition thereto of means for accommodating the door or gate. It will be understood that my invention is not to be limited however, to. a manually operated door as any means may be employed for controlling the ,movement of the door'or gate. For example in Figs. 6 and 7, I show my invention as applied to a door operating mechanism controlled by a fluid pressure motor. In this construction the essential featuresof the door or gate are identical with that described in connection with Fig. 1, the change beingthat, on the car body in the usual location,1 mount a fluid pressure mctor of standard type in-. dicatcd generally at l0, the arm 41 of which is connected by a rod 42 to the gate 3. The

valve indicated generally at 4A is controlled by a suitable rod 45, connected to a lever e6, passing through the floor 47 oftheicar body, which lever is secured to one end of a rod 18, the other end of which is secured to a vertically extending rod a9, provided at its end with the operating handle 50. The rod 49 is carried by a suitable sleevebl secured to the car. Operation of-the valve 14.- of the motor and consequently ofthe motor itself is secured by themanual rocking of the handle 50 which thereby shifts the valve 4A- through the respective levers and lengths a5, a6, a8 and i9, as will be readily understood and as shown in the drawing the operation of thevalve causes the motor to operate thearm 4:1, tOf open or close the door or gate 3, accordingtdthe direction of twist imparted to the rod 49 by its associated handle 50. 7

While I have shown and described specific structural features particularly desirable to the specific use at present contemplated, I wish it to be clearly understood that my invention in its broad scope is not to be limited thereto, as many modifications and details will readily occur to those skilledin the art without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention, as defined in the claims. i V

Having therefore set forth the objects and nature of my invention and having shown and described one application thereof, what 1 deem new and useful and ofmy own invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,- I l 1. The combination with a car body of a bracket carried by the exterior wall of said car body, a door provided witha flange extending the length of its top edge and beyond the rear end of said door, and engaging said bracket, and means for slidably moving said door and flange in said bracket to open and close said door. I

2. The combination with a car body of a bracket carried by the exterior wall of said car body, a door provided with a flange exedge of said door when said door is in its tending the length of its top edge and beclosed position.

yond the rear end of said door, and engag- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 10 ing said bracket, and means for slidably my hand on this 14th day of April A. D, moving said door and flange in said bracket 1917.

to open and close said door, and a brace carried by the car body for holding the front PARIS R. FORMAN. 

